A cupola is defined as a small dome adorning a roof or ceiling. The Cupola, once referred to as an observation tower, atop East Hall has been visible to the City of Kalamazoo for more than a hundred years. Once restored, the icon will once again light up the top of Prospect Hill.
The exterior has been primed and is being painted three different colors to resemble its original state, as shown in the photo at the top of this page.
In the photo from 1905 (above, left), a tall weather vane can be seen topping off the Cupola. The building was nearing completion the first time around in this photo- as can be noted by the two workers on scaffolding on the second level of the building. The other black and white image (above, right), from the 1966 Brown & Gold Yearbook, shows no weather vane.
All of the 16 windows have been replaced with accurate, yet more efficient, replications of the originals. The image above shows the windows from an interior view before the restoration process began. The image with the exterior view was taken in 2006.
